First Baptist Church on State St.

This church was built sometime in the later 1880's. It is not listed in King's Handbook of Springfield, published in 1884, but is pictured in the 1891 publication Picturesque Hampden. The previous location for this congregation was on Main St., on the corner of Harrison Ave.

This is a picture from the 1870s.

The church is no longer standing, there is a parking lot in its place.

According to Curtis Pierce Donnell in "Springfield's Churches," First Baptist was without a pastor in January of l907 at the time that Highland Baptist on Stebbins Street burned to the ground. While Highland Baptist was rebuilding, they worshipped with First Baptist. When the new Highland structure was completed in the fall of that year, First Baptist and Highland officially united as First Highland. In 1920, State Street Baptist united with them (apparently still on Stebbins Street) and the name of First Baptist was resumed.

Just doing some research on St Pauls Universalist that was on Chestnut and became site of the Kimball Hotel. St Pauls moved to the church previously used by First Baptist on State St. Where did first Baptist go in 1909?